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Key of A Minor – Jonny Darko

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Instructor
Jonny May
Course
Beginner
01:36:17

Every major key has a darker partner, and A minor is the partner of C major.

Major keys tend to sound happy and bright, while minor keys sound darker and more emotional. A minor is the perfect first minor key to learn, because like C major, it uses only the white keys. In this course, you’ll learn the A minor scale in each hand, plus two variations that give minor music its unique flavor. You’ll hear how each one sounds a little different.

Next, you’ll learn the chords used most often in A minor and four common chord progressions (chord patterns) you’ll hear in real songs. Then you’ll bring it all together with Jonny Darko, a fun original tune with a playful nod to a certain movie.

Once you’re comfortable, you’ll learn inversions, which are different ways to play the same chord, and use them to make Jonny Darko sound smoother. Then you’ll play it along with a bass and drums backing track, so it feels like you’re playing in a band. Finally, you’ll learn simple ways to play chords for someone else to sing or play along to.

Course Objectives
  • Play the A natural, harmonic and melodic minor scales and understand how they differ
  • Learn the most common chords and four essential chord progressions in A minor
  • Use inversions and smooth voice leading to connect minor chords beautifully
  • Perform Jonny Darko along with a bass and drums backing track
  • Support a singer or instrumentalist with simple, effective accompaniment grooves
Learning Focus
  • Chords
  • Groove
  • Lead Sheets
  • Scales
  • Songs
Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

A minor scale and song
This is a great lesson where I learned about the A minor scale in a more fun way by playing a song. I also like that we're not only learning to play the song but also how to create a simple accompaniment for it.
Not an easy one...
As an early beginner I found it very challenging to keep both hands in sync. It took me one week of everyday practice to be able to play the piece at 70bpm. I know the full tempo is 100bpm but I feel it's time to move on. I'm sure I will come back again with more experience under my belt. PS: It took me way less time to be able to play Canon in C at full tempo.
Variation
Great lesson! I really like the multiple ways of playing the same song using a variation of patterns, inversions, left and right hand.
Enjoyed the course
I iked the step by step approach and tracking my progress.
Fun but extremely challenging for me as beginner
Challenging

Course Lessons

1
Key of A Minor – Lesson 1
17:12

Natural, Harmonic, & Melodic Minor Scales

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2
Key of A Minor – Lesson 2
16:02

Common Chord Progressions, 4 Examples

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3
Key of A Minor – Lesson 3
26:04

Jonny Darko, Lead Sheet, Melody, Chords, Patterns

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4
Key of A Minor – Lesson 4
21:00

Inversions

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5
Key of A Minor – Lesson 5
6:34

Performance with Backing Track

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6
Key of A Minor – Lesson 6
9:25

Accompaniment

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Featured Reviews

View PWJ member reviews of this course!

A minor scale and song
This is a great lesson where I learned about the A minor scale in a more fun way by playing a song. I also like that we're not only learning to play the song but also how to create a simple accompaniment for it.
Not an easy one...
As an early beginner I found it very challenging to keep both hands in sync. It took me one week of everyday practice to be able to play the piece at 70bpm. I know the full tempo is 100bpm but I feel it's time to move on. I'm sure I will come back again with more experience under my belt. PS: It took me way less time to be able to play Canon in C at full tempo.
Variation
Great lesson! I really like the multiple ways of playing the same song using a variation of patterns, inversions, left and right hand.
Enjoyed the course
I iked the step by step approach and tracking my progress.
Fun but extremely challenging for me as beginner
Challenging
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